


Forgiveness

by AllTrekkedUp



Category: Adam-12
Genre: Forgiveness, Gen, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 20:17:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14922159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllTrekkedUp/pseuds/AllTrekkedUp
Summary: Follow up to Swift Is the Night.





	Forgiveness

It was nine o' clock and the Chinese restaurant was empty save for the two officers sitting in a booth in the middle of the room. They had been eating for ten minutes but not a word had been spoken between them all that night, the uneasiness had grown as the night wore on and Wells was ready to broach the subject. It was not as if it had began that night, the hard feelings that Reed had for him had started the day after Malloy's funeral, nothing had ever been said aloud, but it didn't have to be, it was spoken with looks and loaded silences such as this one.

"Jim, I think it's time we had a talk," Ed finally spoke, looking up from his plate.

Jim looked back at him, he knew Ed was right, the time had come, Jean had told him for the past two weeks that a talk needed to take place. He recalled what Woods had told him the day before in the locker room. Jim had been giving Wells a look as the man was getting dressed, it had come to the point that Jim didn't even realize how he was looking at him, his emotions just showed through. 

Woods had been watching this, noticing how Wells cast a look back at Jim full of sorrow and then down, when Wells had finished dressing and left the locker room, Woods walked over to Jim. "Hey, give Ed a break okay? He's down on himself about what happened too, you know?" Woods said. 

Jim hadn't said anything, certainly not what he was thinking or feeling. Only Jean knew that, only she saw him crying his nights away or taking his anger out on some project around the house. Jean knew that Jim blamed Ed for Pete's death and she also knew they needed to talk things out, and now the time had come.

"Yeah, I guess we should," Jim said, setting his fork down.

"I want you to know that...I'm sorry. I really don't know what else to say, that night plays in my mind every night when I try to sleep. I just wish I could have thanked him, I wish he was here with us as much as you do, Reed. I want you to know that that night changed me, it really did, I can see the change in myself, how I am on the job and with Betty and the kids, I'm even going to church. But I know you probably don't want to hear about that, I just...I'm sorry we're both going through this," Ed said.

"I'm sorry too. I'll be honest with you Ed, I have been blaming you for...for Pete's death. I know it really isn't your fault, it's just so hard losing him, it's. ..it's damn hard and it's not fair! I guess I'm not really mad at you I'm just mad that he died and it hurts so much and it will just take time for things to calm down for me," Jim said, saying it did make him feel some better, he looked down most of the time he talked.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Ed said.

They shared a silence for a few moments before they returned to eating, all tension washing away, eyes meeting now and again not in malice but as two men sharing grief for a fallen friend.

THE END.


End file.
